Category Archives: 6- INVENTIONS

6- INVENTIONS

CONTROLLING THE SPREAD OF CAT LITTER

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FINAL good

Anyone that owns a cat knows one of the biggest problems is the cat litter.  Aside from the smell, bits of litter stuck to the cat’s paws as it leaves the litter box end up end up all over the floor.  Unless swept up constantly they quickly get tracked everywhere.

I have found that placing an old car floor mat in front of the area the cat uses to exit the box  that 90% of the litter gets trapped in the groves of the mat reducing the need to sweep the floor as often.

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Most cats take a while to get used to walking on the mat so at first you will most likely have to block off 3 sides of the litter box with something high so they have to exit to the one side that has the mat in front.  Once they are used to the mat, cutting a grove to make one side of the litter box lower will encourage them to use that side and step on the mat as they exit.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

Note: This is an original idea by me but there may be similar products or patents already.  I am not an expert, if you attempt to build or use always consult with an expert and check with all local code and laws.  Build and use at your own risk.  I take no responsibility for injury, death or damage to property.

6- INVENTIONS

GET THE PULLING POWER OF A 4 X 4

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WINCH 1

Bolt a 12 volt, 3000lb winch onto a trailer coupler and attach it to the trailer hitch of any vehicle and for around a $100.00 you now have the power to move heavy loads short distances.

close up of winch

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I recently bought a boat and trailer in late fall that I needed to get into a tight spot for winter storage.  A regular size vehicle was too big and my small lawn tractor had no where near the power to move it, so I built this device  to attach to the lawn tractor’s trailer hitch.  By having someone hold the brakes down on the lawn tractor and blocking the wheels, with the engine turned off and the transmission in neutral, I was able to move the boat to where I wanted it by just using the winch.

photoshoped boat

When it came time to take the boat out of the water the 2 wheel drive pickup I was using could not get enough traction on the launch ramp to pull the weight of the boat and trailer up it.  I had this device with me so I parked my Cavalier at the top of the ramp on level ground.  I attached this device onto the trailer hitch of the car and connected the hook to the front bumper of the pickup.  I then had someone start the car (so the power brakes would be working), put there foot firmly on the brake (preventing all 4 wheels from turning) and place the car in neutral (to prevent damage to the transmission).  I was then able to use the winch to pull the pickup, boat, and trailer up the launch ramp.

There is no telling how many uses a device like this could be good for.  Next spring I am going to use it to try to remove an old tree stump.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

Note: This is an original idea by me but there may be similar products or patents already.  I am not an expert, if you attempt to build or use always consult with an expert and check with all local code and laws.  Build and use at your own risk.  I take no responsibility for injury, death or damage to property.  Moving heavy objects is extremely dangerous and involves a great deal of knowledge and common sense.

6- INVENTIONS

SAVING ENERGY WITH SMART BLINDS & RADIANT HEAT / INVENTION IDEA

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SMART BLINDIf you have a large window in your house that gets a lot of sun, whether the blinds are open or closed through out the day could make a significant difference in your heating and cooling energy costs.

The photo below shows the difference in temperature inside and outside a parked car in the winter. The temperature inside the car is about 20 degrees Celsius warmer then outside.

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What if your blinds worked automatically to take advantage of this heat energy.  In the winter time when the sun was shinning through the window the blinds would open to use the radiant heat from the sun to help heat the house and at night or when it was cloudy the blinds would close to help insulate from the outside cold.

We all know how much heat can build up in a car in the summer and the same goes for your house if the sun is shining in. In the summer time the blinds would do the opposite. When the sun was shining through the window the blinds would close keeping the house cooler and saving on air conditioning costs.

PROTOTYPE PLANS

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Only when direct sunlight comes in contact with the solar cell would the circuit board activate the motor.  When the 3 way switch was set to winter the blinds would open but when there is no direct sunlight making contact with the solar cell the blinds would close.  When the switch is in the manual position the power is disconnected to the motor and the blinds remain in what ever position they are set.  When set for summer the blinds would close whenever direct sunlight comes in contact with the solar cell.  The solar cell would also keep the 2 x “AA”  rechargeable batteries charged.

Dave Lister

listerlogic.com

Note: This is an original idea by me but there may be similar products or patents already.  I am not an expert, if you attempt to build always consult with an expert and check with all local code and laws.  Build at own risk.